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ISS Commander Returns from Space

Col. Jeff Williams took his Bible with him to space. He posted this on
Facebook, May 22: Sunday thought60 days into the stay at this orbital outpost. The weeks are flying by and they have been incredibly productive. Three of our crewmates have less than four weeks until returning to Earththree of us have more than 100 days to go. On this Sunday, I spent some time in Psalm 90. Two petitions stand out; Let Your
work be shown and establish the work of our hands. And He does.

NASA

members were added to Expedition 48s crew on July 9.

Bold about his faith, Col. Williams often quotes Scripture in
his Facebook posts. In a recent videoconference with ICR, he mentioned he now has a deeper admiration for Gods providence. He sees
how God worked throughout his life, eventually preparing him to be
where he is now as an astronaut.
In addition to being an ISS commander and setting the record
for days in space by a NASA astronaut, Col. Williams has also taken
well over 200,000 pictures from space.
Col. Williams brief NASA biography touches on his incredible
accomplishments.
A West Point graduate, Col. Williams received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1980 and was designated an Army
aviator in 1981. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering and the Degree of Aeronautical Engineer
from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1987.
Col. Williams graduated first in U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
class 103 in 1993. He earned a second graduate degree, Master of
Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the
U.S. Naval War College in 1996.
Williams was selected for the NASA Astronaut Class of 1996.
Williams retired from active duty in 2007 after more than 27
years of service. His special honors and awards are almost too
numerous to list.
While these achievements are impressive, theres even more to
this remarkable man. Its been inspiring to follow along with him on
his journey in space and see the glory of Gods creation through his
eyes.
Mr. Stamp is an editor at the Institute for Creation Research.

Image credit: NASA J. Williams.

Glacier in northern Pakistan.

Image credit: NASA J. Williams.

Image credit: NASA J. Williams.

Image credit: NASA.

astronaut and International Space Station (ISS)

commander Col. Jeff Williams is scheduled to return to Earth September 6, 2016, along with cosmonauts Alexey
Ovchinin and Oleg SkripochkaExpedition 47/48s crew. On March
18, 2016, the trio launched into space from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz
rocket for a five-and-a-half month mission.
At the close of this trip, his fourth space mission and third longterm space flight, the 58-year-old Col. Williams will set the record for
the most cumulative days in space by a NASA astronaut, with 534
total days over the four missions.
During Expedition 47 and 48, Col. Williams and the diligent
ISS crew worked on approximately 250 science and research investigations. This involved experiments related to plants, animals, cells,
DNA, and physics. Several focused on the effects of spaceflight on the
bodyespecially eye, muscle, bone, and heart functionas the team
used the unique microgravity environment of the ISS to study human physiology in preparation for NASAs future journeys to Mars.
Research ranged from testing an expandable habitat (BEAM)
for deep-space exploration to studying brain function, sleep studies,
real-time gene analysis, testing new spacesuits, 3-D printing, and even
launching a series of nanosatellites.
Cruising at 17,500 mph at an altitude of around 250 miles,
the ISS passed a major milestone on Monday, May 16, as it began its
100,000th orbit of Earth. For over 15 years, more than 220 astronauts
and cosmonauts from 18 countries have provided continual human
presence onboard the ISS. This accomplishment is a great tribute to
the international cooperation between the U.S., Russia, Japan, the European Space Agency, and Canada.
Col. Tim Kopra turned over command of the ISS to Col. Williams on July 17 as Expedition 47 ended and 48 began. On June 20,
after 186 days in space, Expedition 47 crew members Tim Peake,
Yuri Malenchenko, and Tim Korpa returned to Earth. Three new

Mozambique coral reefs in the Indian Ocean.

SEPTEMBER 2016

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